Foot-Binding

Foot-binding, a cultural practice, existing in China from the 10th century

until the establishment of the People Republic of China in 1949, that involved
tightly bandaging the feet of women to alter their shape for aesthetic purposes.
Typically began when girls were between 4 and 6 years old; some were as
young as 3, few as old as 12. Grandmothers, mothers, or older female relatives
first bound the girl’s feet. The ultimate goal was to make them 3 inches long,
the ideal “golden lotus” foot. It started with a dancer named Yao Niang who
bound her feet into the shape of a new moon. She entranced Emperor Li Yu by
dancing on her toes inside a six-foot golden lotus festooned with precious
stones and ribbons. And gradually the fashion became popular among the elite
during the Song dynasty. Foot-binding eventually spread to lower social class
by the Qing dynasty.

It became a symbol of the subordinate role of women in China, and at the

same time a mark of femininity and beauty, gentility and distinction. Having a
daughter that time with bound feet signified that the family was wealthy
enough to forgo having her work in the fields. Although foot binding started in
the upper classes, it spread rapidly. In poorer families who could not afford the
bandages or lack of labor associated with a hobbled woman. Women with their
feet bound could not walk well enough to do any sort of labor that involved
standing for any length of time. The four smaller toes were tucked underneath,
pulled toward the heel, and wrapped with bandages. Each time the feet were
unbound, the bandages and feet were cleaned. Any dead skin, blisters, dried
blood, and pus were removed. The process could cause paralysis, gangrene,
ulceration, or death, though death was rare. Once a foot had been crushed and
bound, the shape could not be reversed without a woman undergoing the same
pain all over again. Binding the feet continued for the rest of the girl’s life.
Decorative shoes and leggings were worn over the bandages and could differ
with the time of day and occasion. Furthermore, the bound foot became widely
accepted as a source of erotic pleasure to the male. Foot-Binding was not done
until the girls were older. Once a girl married, the bandages were taken off, and
she reentered the workforce.

In conclusion, bound feet in China were considered to associate strongly

with beauty, social status, and duty. If women want to be beautiful and to have
higher status in society it is crucial to her to undergo foot-binding. I firmly
believe that Chinese society was male-dominated at this time and thus the
practice of foot-binding was legitimized as expressional means of elegance. It
would seem that pain has been suffered for centuries by women to achieve
perceived beauty.